Page 112 of Elevator Pitch

“Don’t tell me about that. I beg of you.”

She giggles and I take her lips in a hurried kiss.

“I need to teach you more Korean. It’s sexy,” I say, licking my lips.

She covers her face with her hand as if she’s embarrassed.

My shy little sunflower.

“You should get out of here and have some fun.”

“Not before I teach you some new words. Hae-ba-la-gi ?????6.”

She repeats after me, lighting up when she gets it right.

“It means sunflower.”

“One more. Sella ???7.”

She repeats after me and says with a curious smile, “that sounds like my name. It’s beautiful.”

“Just like you.” I nod, pressing a kiss to her forehead before I head back down the hallway, and I lock eyes with none other than my mom, who’s peeking around her corner, watching in amusement.

By the time Selah turns around and returns to the kitchen, my mom resumes cooking as if she wasn’t just being nosy. I walk over to her and squeeze her in a hug, hoping to distract her from making any comments about what she just saw.

“So, in America, neighbors do borrow sugar,” she says with a raised brow.

“Eomma, please,” I plead.

“Calm down. I like her.” She smacks my arm with a dish towel. “We’ll talk later. Have fun with your appa and be nice.”

“I love you,” I say, wrapping her in another hug.

“I love you too, adeul.”

1 Mom

2 Dad

3 Son

4 Honey

5 Korean meatballs

6 Sunflower

7 Selah

53

like father, like son

Greyson

Manhattan, NY | March 11, 2024

From the momentwe got in the car, my dad’s been chatty and it’s very strange. He asked if he could put on some music for the ride, which was also odd and based on his selections, I can tell he’s been taking recommendations from Henry. He insists we take the scenic routes and while I’d like nothing more than to get back home, I’m enjoying this side of my dad, so I agree we can take our time.

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